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The Dotted Line

Stay updated on the latest Texas Longhorns recruiting news brought to you by Longhorns recruiting beat writer Mike Craven of Hookem.com. The Dotted Line will publish M-F at 10 a.m. each morning to provide Texas fans with an in-depth look at the latest for the Longhorns on the recruiting trail.

Football

The Dotted Line: Dylan Wright has picked Texas A&M; where will Texas turn at wide receiver?

Texas A&M landed another body blow to the Longhorns on the recruiting trail Monday night when four-star wide receiver Dylan Wright chose Jimbo Fisher and the Aggies after leaning toward Texas for most of the cycle. It was a surprising choice, not that Wright picked Texas A&M, but that he did it before his scheduled commitment.

The Aggies have routinely beaten Texas to the punch this cycle, especially inside the borders of the state, landing commitments from the likes of DeMarvin Leal, Brian Williams and Demani Richardson before the Longhorns could make their big pitch. The same appears to be true for Wright. Now, this is recruiting, so nothing is set in stone until pen hits the national letter of intent and the fax machine is plugged in. A great season by the Longhorns, coupled by struggles in College Station, likely means some of these early commitments are up for grabs come December.

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Assuming things stand pat, however, Texas must get creative to fill its needs at receiver. The goal is to sign at least four prospects on the outside with five a likely number. Herman gained commitments from four-star slot receivers Jordan Whittington and Jake Smith before adding speedy Demariyon Houston to the mix on July 7. All three players are ranked inside as top-175 players nationally and within the top 30 of the wide receiver position.

To date, Texas has offered 19 players at wide receiver. Three are future Longhorns. Twelve others are committed elsewhere. That leaves the four uncommitted prospects currently holding offers should get a heavy push from the coaching staff with Wright now off the board. Not that commitments stop schools from recruiting. Expect Texas to stay on Wright and apply more pressure to Baylor commit and Austin native Jaylen Ellis of Round Rock Cedar Ridge.

Here is a closer look at the four uncommitted receivers with a Texas offer:

Higgins entered the offseason as a prospect pegged for Austin. The longer his recruitment lasted, the more it was obvious he was interested in exploring his options outside the state. Higgins is a big-bodied receiver and fits the mold Texas lacks in the other 2019 commitments. His stock exploded in the offseason because of his tight end size and wide receiver athleticism and ball skills. He’s a Florida native and the Gators were once considered the favorite. Then it switched to Ohio State, but the mystery surrounding the future of Urban Meyer could allow Texas to make another push for one of Austin’s best wide receiver prospects of all time.

Marcus Washington, Trinity Catholic, Mo.

FYI: 6-2/193; 4 stars; No. 26-ranked wide receiver

Top schools: Ohio State, Texas, Missouri

Washington was set to pick a school today. He announced on Twitter on Aug. 2 that he would delay his commitment and continue the recruiting process due to the circumstances in college football. Translation: Washington was set to pick Ohio State before the Meyer scandal broke. It’s given other schools an opportunity to get back into the mix and Texas will be one of the programs to put on the full-court press. Washington is a big, smooth wide receiver with natural ball skills and elite route-running for a high school prospect. He suffered a minor injury at The Opening Final in Frisco and missed most of the 7-on-7 action.

Anderson is an intriguing prospect. He’s equipped with enough size and plenty of speed to develop into a top-flight wide receiver at the college level. He won’t shoot up the rankings or enter college as a must-watch product ready to compete for snaps, but he’s a player who could easily emerge as underrated when we all look back at the 2019 class years down the road. He’s a smooth route runner with track speed. Anderson simply must sharpen his craft and become more diverse in his routes and more consistent catching the ball.

Jameson Williams, Cardinal Ritter College Prep (Mo.)

FYI: 6-1.5/169; 4 stars; No. 24-ranked wide receiver

Top schools: Ohio State, Oregon, Alabama

Williams isn’t a player linked with Texas much despite a long-lasting offer from the Longhorns. The 247Sports Crystal Ball projections are 93 percent in favor of Ohio State with seven percent pointed toward Oregon. It’s possible that the Longhorns apply more pressure and make a late run, but it will take a shift of preference for Williams to explore options outside of Columbus.